Hear this Week: Live Music in St. Louis August 16 – 20

Live Music in St. Louis

St. Louis is the live music capital of the U.S., with scores of opportunities to catch great music every week! Here are just a few Bands of Note:

Tuesday, August 16 – The wonderful jazz duo of Jim Manley and Chris Swan play at the Riverbend Restaurant and Bar. Their trumpet/keyboard combination covers a lot of great old and new music. No cover. 6:30 to 8:30.

Wednesday, August 17 – Wilco started as local heroes playing the bars, and now they are a national treasure. They return to town at the Fabulous Fox, a great venue for their artful, sometimes quirky alt rock. Jeff Tweedy leads a fantastic band, and he’s promising to play their better known hits. If it’s not sold out, get there! Tickets are $30 to $75.

Thursday, August 18 – At The Dark Room, they have live music five nights a week (“never a cover”), and this Thursday’s quartet includes one of the town’s crown princes of the piano, Ptah Williams. With guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Darrell Mixon, and drummer Demarius Hicks, they make up our town’s finest jazz practitioners. Two sets, 7:30 and 9.

Friday, August 19 – The Heavy Anchor, a popular, somewhat divy South City club, hosts four rocking bands starting at 9: I Actually, Mountain Doom, Grand House, and King James & the Killer Bee. All but Mountain Doom are local rockers, and all are yours for the price of a $7 cover.

Saturday, August 20 – From noon to 3 at our National Blues Museum, Gregg “Happy Guitar” Haynes takes the stage. This St. Louis native is an award-winning blues guitarist. The ordained minister serves up his blues with a tinge of gospel. Included when you buy a ticket into the amazing museum; $5 just to see him.

What the Locals Know: Over the river in St. Charles there’s the three-day “Festival of the Little Hills” at Frontier Park. Great music on all three days from Friday at 5 until Sunday at 5. Be sure to catch the the five-piece Hillbilly Authority on Friday at 6:30. They play traditional and new country, and even some rock and roll. Free.

Music Note of Note: Today the opulent Fabulous Fox Theatre is host to Broadway shows, Vegas performers, in addition to top rock and comedy acts. When it opened in 1929, it featured a Wurlitzer pipe organ that cost $75,000; the renowned instrument featured 4 manuals, 36 ranks, and 348 stops. It was restored in 1981 and is still played.